Page:Mr. Wu (IA mrwumilnlouisejo00milniala).pdf/82

 "So soon!" But her face brightened, in spite of herself, as she said it; it was not such very bad news after all. "How can they bear to leave you?" she added wonderingly.

"They can't," Gregory said desperately. She did indeed stiffen then. And there was piteous accusation in her eyes. But she said nothing; and presently he went on lamely enough, "and that is what I had to tell you."

"You—you are leaving me?" the girl said very quietly.

"I must."

"But," she said intensely, "you will not go. You will tell them that you cannot go—now!"

He must have understood her then, if he had failed, as he had tried to fail, to do so before. "I couldn't tell them about you, dear." Poor wretch! it was the best that he could find to say. "With us, things like that are not so easy," he added weakly.

"But you could tell them that you cannot leave me," Nang Ping pleaded. "You must tell them that," she whispered desperately.

"But I am not leaving you forever, little one," the man faltered. "England is not many weeks from here."

"Yes, but I cannot follow you!"

Follow him! The heavens forbid! "No, of course not," he said quickly, "of course not, you silly little Celeste. But I shall come back. Some day, when you least expect me, I shall be here in the lotus garden or in the pagoda."

"The pagoda!" she moaned.

"The pagoda," he hurried on, "where we learned to love." He tried to draw her to him, but she recoiled. "No, no!" she cried hotly. "If the bird of love once